


And They Were Roommates

by Flameo_Hotman



Series: Zukka Week [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cop Bato, Cop Hakoda, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, Gymnast Zuko, Hospitals, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Olympics, Panic Attack, Pohuai Gala, Roommates, Seizures, Vampire Azula, Werewolf Sokka, Zukka week 2020, and this is how Zuko and Katara become friends, doctor Katara, don't go jogging at night in the park, fluuf so sweet itll rot your teeth, i wrote this all in one sitting directly after posting the first chapter, jet is a two timing cheater, proposal gone right, scientist Sokka, sokka is a hopless romantic, sokka things zuko smells good, veterinarian aang, zuko digs it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22431661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flameo_Hotman/pseuds/Flameo_Hotman
Summary: Written for Zukka Week 2020. I am throwing all of the prompts into one single fic.Also thank you to H_Faith_Marr my beta reader, who proofread as I wrote.I posted the first chapter and then moved onto writing the next one and the next one and then I'd written over 14,000 words in one sitting and the fic was done.Sokka first meets Zuko in a hospital, where they are roommates. Sokka got attacked by a wolf in the park while on a midnight jog. Zuko got half his face burned off by his father and left for dead in a ditch. There has to be better ways to meet the love of your life... But Sokka finds himself head over heels for this weirdo who calls him pretty while high on pain killers. How could he not with that laugh and that golden eye that isn't currently covered by gaze wraps?
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zukka Week [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1614751
Comments: 84
Kudos: 567





	1. Roommates

Sokka woke up in the hospital following the wolf attack with Katara checking his vitals.

“Morning Katara. I was just having this weird dream where you were a water bender and Aang was an air bender. We lived in this village in the south pole.” Sokka joked sarcastically, and she looked at him with a scowl.

“What were you thinking? Going for a jog in the middle of the night? That’s how people get killed, Sokka!”

“Yeah? But I’m fine. I wasn’t even mugged!” He smiled, touched by her concern. “I did get attacked by this really weird looking wolf though. I might need to be checked for rabies.”

“You don’t have rabies. I already checked.” She replied, smiling at him finally. “You really had us worried. You got lucky. Please don’t ever do something like that ever again. I’ll text dad to let him know you’re okay. You just missed him by a half-hour. He got called in on a possible homicide.”

“Fun.”

Ten minutes later, Katara’s pager went off and she looked at it, and turned to the nurse with her saying, “Song can you finish with Sokka? I have to get to the ER.”

“Sure thing, Boss Lady!” Nurse Song said with a mock salute before Katara was rushing out and headed down the hall.

Song was kind enough to bring him his cellphone once she was done taking his vitals. Sokka pulled his dad’s contact and sent him a quick text to let him know that he was awake and was going to be fine. Then he opened the group chat titled Gucci Gaang and typed out a quick message to let his friends know he was fine.

He wondered briefly how long it would be before lunch.

His phone chimed.

**Kyoshi Warrior:** Good to know. Did Katara tear you a new one yet?

**Boomerang Guy:** She got paged to the ER before she could.

**Kyoshi Warrior:** Want me to pick up Toph and Aang and bring you not hospital food?

**Boomerang Guy:** Pls do. I’m starving.

**Kyoshi Warrior:** I’ll pick you up a burger from King Kuei Burgers on my way

**Boomerang Guy:** No Wang Fire Burgers?

**Kyoshi Warrior:** No you went jogging in the middle of the night. Wang Fire Burgers is for people smart enough not to do that

Sokka smiled and then opened his Netflix to start watching some comedy special that Aang recommended to him last week.

Ten minutes later his dad walked in, still in uniform.

“You’re up? You had us worried.”

“Katara said the same thing.”  
  


“And I assume she already reminded you that jogging at night is a good way to get yourself killed?”

Sokka rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, and Suki said the same thing.”

Hakoda chuckled and smiled, “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Didn’t you get called in on a homicide?”

His dad went quiet and nodded, before turning serious and revealing, “When we got there, it turned out the guy wasn’t dead… Katara is in the ER with him right now, but I have to go back to the precinct to file a report about it. I’ll drop by again after work. No more night jogging for you though. I don’t want to get called in and find you face down in a ditch.”

“Okay! No more jogs at night. Got it.” Sokka groaned. “Love you to dad. Now go solve your not-homicide.” Hakoda gave his son a hug and kissed his forehead before he left.

Suki arrived with Toph and Aang half an hour later.

“MEAT!!” Sokka greeted, as he held out his arm that wasn’t in a cast to grab the fast-food bag.

“Hello to you too Snoozles.” Toph snarked and stuck her tongue out.

Aang pulled out a sharpie saying, “Katara told us you had a cast, so I figured we could all sign it and write messages for you on it!”

“Me first!” Toph cheered as she snatched the marker away from the veterinarian.

“But you’re blind? How are you gonna-” Sokka started but she was already scribbling on the cast. “Yeah, that makes sense. What a beautiful message, Toph. That one is gonna be hard to beat. Your turn Aang.”

By time Katara came back in the room, the cast was well decorated, with scribbles, doodles of animals, and the word _Dummy_. Except she wasn’t alone and was wheeling a bed in next to Sokka’s own with Song.

“Sorry, Sokka, it looks like you’re gonna have a roommate.” She informed him, as she parked the bed in the empty side of the room. “Dad is investigating what happened to the guy and he’s going to visiting you plenty, so having our John Doe in the same room as you just makes sense. That way if the guy wakes up, John here can tell Dad who did this. Otherwise, we’d have to page him to the room.”

One look at the guy and Sokka suddenly knew why it had been called in as a homicide. ‘If the guy woke up’ was right…

The sleeping male looked like a corpse. He was deathly pale and stuck full of tubes. Half of his face was bandaged and he was covered with a mountain of warming blankets. Sokka was never going for a midnight jog ever again…

Two days later an elderly man was brought into the room and asked if he could ID the guy by Hakoda and Bato.

“Zuko!” The short pudgy man shouted as he rushed into the room and next to the not dead guy’s bed. “Yes, Officer Hakoda. This- What happened to my nephew?”

“Unfortunately we don’t know yet. Tell us, does your nephew have any enemies?”

“Zuko is a strong-headed boy. He tends to rub most people the wrong way, but I can’t think of anyone who would do something like this to him. Where did you find him?”

“He was dumped on the side of the Serpent’s Underpass. He was found by a group of…Singing migrants,” Bato answered, before asking, “Was your nephew involved in any sort of illegal activity? Something that might have inspired gang violence against him?”

“I don’t think he is…” The man sounded unsure. “He had a messy break up with a gang member though. I think the Freedom Fighters was the group his ex was associated with? The boy’s name was Jet.”

No one said a thing.

Hakoda broke the silence, “Is this Jet a smug-looking hooligan?”

“Yes, officer.”

“Always has a piece of foliage in his mouth?”

“Yes, is he a suspect?”

Hakoda looked constipated, trying to keep his face professional when Sokka knew all his Dad wanted to do was go hunt the guy down.

“We don’t know yet, but we’ll follow the lead,” Hakoda stated stiffly. “We’ll make sure to keep you posted.” And with that Hakoda and Bato left.

* * *

Zuko woke up in pain and in a hospital bed. He didn’t know how he got here. One moment Father was holding his face against a gas stove and the next he was here…

Had one of Father’s neighbors heard Zuko’s screams and called the cops? Did Father get arrested? Was Zuko going to have to testify against him? Why did it feel like his ribs were broken? Was he going to be better in time for the Olympic tryouts? Was this going to cause a media scandal and affect his chances?

“Zuko? You’re awake!” Uncle nearly sobbed in relief. “The doctor said, she didn’t know if you would. Please never scare me like that again! I don’t think my heart could take it.”

“Is Father in jail?” Zuko asked. He had to know.

“What?”

“Father… Is he? Did he get arrested?”

Iroh looked deeply disturbed.

“I- He got mad, and I think I was screaming, but then I passed out- That’s why I’m here right? His neighbors heard me and called the cops?”

“Nephew…” Uncle Iroh sounded serious. “You were found half-dead off to the side of an underpass. Are you saying that your father did this?”

Zuko screwed his unburned eye shut. So they hadn’t known his father was the one to burn him… That his father was the one to beat him… Zuko could have avoided the media scandal that this was now going to turn into if he had just learned to shut his mouth long ago. If he had learned that when he was younger then Father wouldn’t have had to teach him that lesson over and over again…

But he’d dug himself a hole, and there was no way out…

Zuko sat up and his ribs screamed at him in outrage.

“He got mad… Someone sent him a photo of me, from back when I was still with Jet, and Father got mad. He told me I had to come home, so he could talk to me about something, and when I got there he showed the picture in my face and- and he started hitting me.” Zuko choked back sobs, as he continued. “Then I talked back to him, and he- he- F-father, he turned on the gas stove a-and he grabbed me by the hair… I-It hurt- I can still smell it- I-i-i Uncle- It still hurts- It still hu-hurts-” He was trembling. “Still- Hurts- It-”

Zuko suddenly fell back onto the bed and began violently convulsing.

Iroh was screaming for someone to go get a doctor.

Suddenly the pain in his chest got worse and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Oh god, he actually couldn’t breathe. He- And then the woman Jet had cheated on him with came running in wearing scrubs and a lab coat and was shouting.

She pressed a button and everything went dark…

* * *

Hakoda had watched in horror from his son’s bedside, as Zuko began to seize. Whatever had happened was bad. It was really really bad. And he had frozen up. Iroh had screamed out for a doctor, and Katara came into the room and sprung into action, shouting orders at other nurses and doctors in the hall.

Zuko’s lips were turning blue, Hakoda realized, as Katra pressed a button on the IV machine the boy was hooked up to. Zuko went rigid and his eyes rolled back into his head, and then he went limp.

Katara and three other doctors wheeled the bed out of the room.

Hakoda wanted to cry.

The boy had gone so still, and he was suddenly reminded of the way Zuko had looked when he first saw the boy. Lying half-dead on the side of the road and so still, that he had thought the boy really was dead. How a father could do this to their own son was beyond him.

He was suddenly filled with rage.

“Where can I find the man.” He snarled. “That boy’s father is going to rot in prison for the rest of his life. Where is he?”

Iroh gave him a look that told Hakoda that this would turn into a homicide case if Iroh went after Zuko’s father. And if Iroh got to him first? Hakoda would look the other way and cover it up.

“Ozai is at his office this time of day. Do you know where the FIre Lord Legal Offices are?”

“Yes.”

Hakoda left, calling Bato for back up as he went.

* * *

When Zuko next woke up he felt oddly light and drowsy.

He looked around and realized sluggishly that he was still in the hospital.

The boy that was his roommate here, was looking at him, and it was dark out. Uncle’s head was resting against his leg, as the man slept.

Zuko looked at the tan man, and realized something. “You’re really pretty. Like really pretty.”

“Uh… Thanks? You’re pretty good looking yourself?’

“You’re waaaay cuter than Jet. Jet was an ASSHOLE!”

“Yeah… That’s what the word on the street is.”

“What’s yourhh naime…”

“Sokka…”

“OH!! I’ve heard abuht you!! You’re the guy Yue use to date!”

“You know Yue?”

“Mhhhmm… She said you were a hot peice of ass. But shhhh! Don’t tell anyone she knows how to curse.” Zuko slurred. “She was right. God! Your eyes! SO blue! Blue is my new favorite color!”

Sokka’s face was bright red.

“Hey? Why are you in my room?”

“What?”

“My hospital room.”

“I’m your roommate?”

“ _And they were roommates!_ ” Zuko giggled.

“Oh my god… You are so high right now.”

“Can I have my number?”

“What?”

“You know my number? If you give me your number that makes it mine!”

“Katara would kill me if I filmed this…”

“Jet cheated on me with her you know… I found out and broke up with him. I was his side chick. Not even his main chick. But I made sure to send her a message letting her know what a cheating dog he is.” Zuko declared.

Sokka suddenly grabbed a marker from the nightstand next to his hospital bed, and said, “Thank you for doing that. She broke up with him as well. Do you know your phone number right now even?”

“Totally… Its auh… It’s in my phone.” Zuko began before his face lit up and he rattled off something that actually sounded like a phone number, and Sokka wrote it down on his cast.

“In the morning I’m going to double-check with you that its right. Okay?”

“Sure thing… Did you know you’re pretty?”

* * *

The next morning, when Sokka woke up, Zuko was still asleep, and the guy’s uncle had gone off to grab something to eat. If it wasn’t for the phone number scrawled on his cast, Sokka would have thought he had dreamt the whole thing.

“You’re up early?”

“Katara!” Sokka whispered. “You’ll never believe what Zuko told me last night!”

  
She glanced at his cast and then back up at him to roll her eyes. “Let me guess… Was it his phone number?”

“Well yes, but that’s not what I wanted to tell you.”

“What is it then?”

“Okay” Sokka started, “So do you remember that you only found out Jet was cheating on you because his side chick texted you from Jet’s phone?”

“Wait… That was Zuko?”

“Yep! The two of you got screwed over by the same guy.”

Katara looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, “I’ll have to thank him for that when he wakes up. How was his breathing last night? Did he sound like he was out of breath while talking to you?”

Oh yeah… Zuko had punctured one of his lungs with a broken rib during his seizure the other day.

“He sounded fine. Just really high. It was actually kind of funny. He thinks I’m pretty by the way. Even prettier than Jet apparently. It appears that the men and women of this world can not resist my charms. He even said that Yue was right when she called me a hot piece of ass. But that I’m not allowed to tell people she knows how to curse. High society is weird.”

“And when high society is high?” Toph shouted from the door. “Then it is even weirder.”

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough lover boy. You like him because he called you pretty.”

“He was really sweet.”

“Well if I know Sparky, he would kick your ass if he ever found out you called him sweet.”

“Okay? Just how many people does Zuko know that I know?”

“He’s from high society? Yue’s from high society? I’m from high society?” Toph scoffed. “We have known each other forever. We went to the same fancy rich people galas and events. There weren’t a lot of other kids our age to hang out with at those boring things. When he wakes up, you should ask him about the Pohuai Gala of 2005. That is a great story.”

“Hey, can you tell me if this is his number?” Sokka asked as he pointed at his cast.

“No, I can not. I’m blind remember?”

“Sorry.” Sokka cringed.

“I can tell you what his number is though. I have it memorized.”

As it turned out, Zuko had managed to give him the right one.

When Sokka got out of this place he was going to ask the weirdo out.


	2. Mythology

“Okay, Sokka you’re gonna need to take off your shirt so I can change your bandages,” Katara instructed as she prepared the fresh ones.

“Okay, fine.” Sokka sighed. “I can’t wait to be able to go back to my research. I’m telling you, harnessing quantum energy is going to be the way of the future. I’m going to make it happen.” But when he pulled his shirt off, he didn’t feel the stretching pain of the claw marks that were hidden under the bandages.

_Weird, but Katara was one of the best doctors in the country._

Something must have been wrong with the wound because after removing the bandages, his sister was silent. Even Nurse Song was. Sokka looked down at his side where the wound he’d nearly bleed out from was, but there was smooth unblemished tan skin. Not even a scar.

“Hey? Katara? Did you forget to tell me you used some sort of super serum on my wounds?”

There was still some blood on the gauze, which told him that he hadn’t imagined it. The claw marks were just gone.

“I was about to ask you if you’d managed to invent one while I wasn’t looking…” His sister answered looking perplexed. “It was still there just yesterday…”

At this point, Sokka had been in the hospital for only four weeks. One of which he’d slept through. There was no rational way to explain it. A wound that he had for two weeks had vanished overnight.

“Maybe that Mandella Effect Theory isn’t so bull shit after all?” Sokka offered because that was the only thing he could think of. He had somehow fallen into a universe where despite everyone knowing there should be claw marks, _deep claw marks_ , there was nothing. No sign of injury. Just smooth undamaged skin.

“Maybe… Let’s check your other wounds first…”

The bite marks on his arm that wasn’t in a cast were gone. The laceration on his left leg was gone. Hell, even his scars from before the attack had all vanished. The scar on his thumb from those two fish hooks? Vanished!

“You don’t think my broken arm is magically unbroken? Do you?” Sokka asked.

“We can certainly check…” Katara answered looking more confused than he’d ever seen her. And really? He got it. He was Mr. Science and he didn’t know how to explain this either. He didn’t even know how this had happened!

And one xray later?

He was getting his cast off because guess what? Not broken anymore! It was like he had a healing factor out of nowhere. Healing factors were not a thing. That only happened in comic books. He had no idea what was going on.

“I’m going to keep you overnight for observation, but if none of your injuries come back then you are free to go home tomorrow.

Sokka was able to walk back to the room he was sharing with Zuko, just in time for the guy to wake up from with morphine-induced midday nap. Sokka smiled at him and wished he could share whatever this was with the golden-eyed man.

Golden Eye…

Sokka whipped out his phone and opened Zuko’s contact and added the nickname.

“Sleep well?”

“Mrgh…” Zuko groaned. “The drugs are wearing off, but I’m not hurting as bad…”

Zuko had been coherent enough this week for Sokka to get on friendly terms with the guy. Sokka wondered about what Zuko would look like without half of his face covered in gauze. He looked cute with it. But there was sure to be a nasty scar when it had healed.

“Good,” Sokka said with a smile.

“What happened to your cast? Isn’t your arm broken?” The gold eye narrowed.

“It’s not anymore. I’m not sure how or why, but all of my injuries disappeared while I was asleep. So it looks like I’m a walking medical mystery.” Yeah, that didn’t sound fake at all… But it was the truth, and people did say that the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. “Katara is having me stay one more night, in case they magically come back the same way they left.”

“Okay? I’m just going to assume that I’m imagining you said that because of the drugs your sister has me on. Because that sounds fake as shit.”

“Yeah, I’m a scientist, so I’m even more weirded out about it than you are.”

“You’re a scientist? Didn’t you go jogging in the park at midnight?”

“Hey, it was a nice night out, and I wanted to take some pictures of the full moon,” Sokka said in his defense because everyone had now said that to him at least once.

“Yeah, next thing you’ll be telling me is that it was a werewolf that attacked you,” Zuko said with a roll of his eye. “Can you at least lend me your weird mystic healing powers? I still need to get ready for Olympic tryouts, and I can’t really do that stuck in a hospital bed.”

“The Olympics?” Sokka asked. “Which category? I’ll need to know which one to set to record if you make it.”

“Gymnastics.” But then that pain medication dopey look resurfaced on his face and what he said next made Sokka blush bright red. “I’m very flexible.” Why did the drugs have to make the hot weirdo all flirty? And yes, Sokka would very much love to see what Zuko had meant by that! Seriously the drugs might not kill Zuko, but at this rate, they were going to kill Sokka.

Sokka’s mouth was dry, and he had to swallow a few times before he could manage words again. “So is it okay if I come to visit you, once I get released tomorrow?”

“Uh… You’d actually want to?”

“Definitely.”

“I guess it would be okay with me…”

Sokka felt increasingly restless as the day grew on. Like there was something clawing at him from the inside that demanded he do something! Anything! He was suddenly going stir crazy. So when Katara left to go home for the night, Sokka snuck out.

Once outside, he enjoyed his first breath of outside air in a month. It was dusk out and he decided he would go for a quick run before going back inside. He needed to run. It was nearly night out by the time he reached the park.

His skin felt like it was crawling and he felt itchy.

He began his run. It was a run. Not a jog.

It felt great to do something other than sitting around all day, rewatching the same shows over and over on Netflix, even if they were somehow made like brand new with Zuko’s commentary. Dude was a total cinema nerd. But he needed this.

He needed it in a way he hadn’t ever needed to run before.

The blood pounding in his veins felt exhilarating.

Then he saw the full moon in the sky.

Sokka felt his bones suddenly scream out in agony, and he tripped with the suddenness of the burning pain. Had his injuries decided to return? Did they only decide to disappear for one day? Displaying injuries were one thing. But sadistic disappearing injures, that returned suddenly and painfully were another thing.

His bones felt like they were breaking and shifting around inside him.

Sokka heard a scream, that he then realized was his own.

He was on the ground and screaming.

Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

His hands dug into the dirt, but they felt weird and everything hurt.

Suddenly his body lurched and he felt that itch in his skin suddenly intensify.

The air lost its chill.

He looked down at his hands, and he screamed again because WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING TO THEM!! Hands do not look like that! His fingernails hand turned to claws, and fur was covering them. And science had no explanation for whatever this was. Had he been exposed to radiation during one of his experiments? Was he suddenly mutating and dying from radiation poisoning?

He howled out in pain.

He wasn’t screaming. He was howling.

Sokka blacked out from the pain for a moment, and when he came to he didn’t hurt anymore. He felt energy thrumming through his veins. He felt great! But he felt weird. He felt different. Everything suddenly smelt sharper than ever before. Sounds were louder.

He opened his eyes.

He saw everything in sharper focus.

He saw the front legs of a wolf stretching outwards from where he lay.

_“Next thing you’ll be telling me is that it was a werewolf that attacked you.”_

Holy shit…

Those were Sokka’s legs.

He swung his head around to look at the rest of his body, and instead of the one he was used to having, he saw white fur. He saw the hindquarters of a large white wolf. His hindquarters…

He had gone out for a jog, a month ago, to take pictures of the full moon, and he had been attacked by a weird-looking wolf. The massive size had been what Sokka had thought was weird. That and the eyes… Those weirdly human eyes…

He got attacked by a werewolf, but werewolves were a myth and now it seemed that at least some myths were real…


	3. Pain / Healing

Once Sokka had gotten back to the hospital it was daylight, and Nurse Song caught him making his way back to his room. He told her he’d simply just gone for a walk. The hospital smelled strongly of the sticky scent of sickness and the even sharper scent of medicine. His head hurt. Everything smelt too strong, but as he drew closer to his room, he caught the heavenly smell of cinnamon and spiced honey. He felt himself salivate at the scent. He couldn’t remember ever smelling anything better than it.

It drew him in.

Right to his hospital room… Right to Zuko…

It was Zuko that the scent was coming from…

Zuko had never looked more beautiful to Sokka than he did at this moment. How could one person look and smell so perfect? How was that even fair? God, he was standing over the guy like a creep, and all he wanted to do was lick him. He wanted to know if Zuko’s skin would taste as good as the guy smelt…

He wanted Zuko.

Suddenly a golden eye was looking up at blue ones, and Sokka was lost to it. Zuko held his soul in his hands now. He would do anything for him

* * *

Zuko had not expected to wake up to Sokka standing over him and looking so hungry. His stomach did weird little flips at that look. Sokka’s eyes were wide and his pupils were blown. And the guy was just standing there in the darkness, looking at Zuko like he held the answers to the universe.

“Sokka?” Zuko asked nervously. No one had ever looked at him like this and it was equal parts unnerving and exciting. “Are you—” 

He was cut off by Sokka crashing his lips against Zuko’s own. That kiss was like fire and it threatened to consume him. It was hungry and needy, and Zuko moaned into it, clinging to Sokka.

Oh god! What was happening?

Sokka climbed on top of him, and Zuko let him.

It was sudden and amazing, and Zuko didn’t want it to stop.

Then those lips nipped at his right earlobe, and Zuko gave a yelp. Sokka’s lips felt like they were branding him. They trailed down his jaw, and Sokka was sucking hot wet kisses into his neck and something was beeping in the background. But Zuko didn’t care.

Hands clenched at his waist possessively, and Zuko groaned.

“S-Sokka.” He gasped and felt himself beginning to stir in his sweatpants.

Whatever had overcome the man, Zuko wanted it to stay. Whatever this was felt good. It was like drowning in silk sheets. Zuko felt those hands pushing up into his shirt, and then someone was shouting.

“Sokka! Get off Zuko now!”

Sokka actually growled for a moment, and if that hadn’t been the single hottest thing Zuko had ever heard… But then the man came back to himself suddenly scrambled off of him. Sokka looked horrified and stumbled backward into the wall. And Zuko was confused, and he was hurt.

Was kissing him really that bad? Hadn’t they both been into what was happening? Why did Sokka look vaguely sick?

Zuko looked to see who had ruined this for him, and Katara was standing there looking angry and just as horrified as her brother.

The beeping slowed back down, and Zuko realized in horror it had been his heart rate monitor. He flushed bright red and covered his lap with a pillow.

“I-I-” Sokka sputtered. “Oh my god! Zuko I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to- You- I-” And he ran.

Zuko felt his heart shatter.

“Zuko are you okay? He didn’t hurt you did he?” Katara asked as she rushed over to take his vitals. “I don’t care if you two want to get it on, but you’re still hurt.”

Zuko blinked in confusion, before saying, “I’m fine.”

He was far from fine.

Sokka didn’t come back like he’d promised. He left him just like everyone else in Zuko’s life that Zuko had cared about. And he didn’t think he would be okay. He let his walls down for the first time since Jet, and Sokka hurt him.

Just when he let himself think Sokka liked him back.

* * *

Sokka hadn’t meant to kiss Zuko. He would never force himself on someone. He would never… But then he had been trying to devour Zuko. He had sucked what was sure to be dark bruises all the way down the guy’s neck. But Zuko had kept making those breathy little gasps and moaning and Sokka hadn’t been able to stop. He could still taste Zuko on his lips and he could still smell him on his clothes.

He’d been out of control, and if Katara hadn’t stopped him…

Sokka had fled and he felt sick.

But Zuko hadn’t tried to push him away. Sokka wasn’t sure the guy could. No, Zuko had pulled him in closer and clunge to him. Moaned when Sokka had kissed him.

He was afraid. He was afraid of what he would have done if Katara wasn’t there to stop him. He would have broke Zuko. Zuko was still bed-bound in a hospital! And Sokka would have broken him. And Zuko would have begged him to.

He went to see Aang.

* * *

Aang had been having a normal day at his veterinary practice until Sokka came bursting through the door looking wild and distressed. Something was wrong. So he finished with giving Mrs. Beifong back her poodle, and took Sokka into the back and sat him down.

“Sokka what’s wrong?”

“I kissed Zuko.”

Aang raised his eyebrows and asked, “But the two of you like each other? Isn’t that a good thing?” Aang knew for a fact they both liked each other because the group text was now full of Sokka gushing about Zuko. Even Toph could see how much the two liked each other, and she was blind.

“I didn’t mean to.” Sokka pleaded. “One moment I was standing over him practically drooling and then I was trying to get in his pants! I couldn’t help myself! I could have seriously hurt him!”

“Oh…” Aang could see why that might be a problem, but then Sokka was snipping at the air and ripping open the cabinet, Aang stored dog treats in and ripped the lid off and started **eating them!** Aang openly gaped at his friend.

“Something is seriously wrong with me!” Sokka said between handfuls of the treats. “Oh moment everything is fine and then I’m turning into a wolf and all of my senses are cranked to eleven. And Zuko smells so fucking good! Have you noticed how gorgeous he is?”

Wait… What?

“You turned into a what?” Aang asked startled. He would have thought the guy was on drugs if it wasn’t for The Duke.

“Uh… I turned into a wolf, and before you say that I’m on drugs-”

“No, what did the wolf that attacked you look like?”

Sokka went silent and stopped eating the treats.

“You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“Was it a cream-colored wolf that stands high as I am tall? Brown eyes?”

“Aang… How do you know what the wolf looks like?”

Aang groaned and pulled out his phone to send Pipsqueak a text. The Duke had gotten out of his kennel and scratched someone. And could he please reinforce the kennel better?

“Okay, so werewolves are real, and one of my clients is one. I think The Duke is the one that scratched you.” It was Sokka’s turn to gape. “He’s still too young to control himself during the full moon, and you need to sit back down in that chair. We need to get your shots up to date.”

“What?!”

* * *

When Sokka got home Katara was there and she looked pissed.

“Please, I already feel horrible about what happened this morning,” Sokka said quietly. “I would never try to hurt Zuko. I… I can’t deal with this tonight…” He he pushed past her and fled to his bedroom. His clothes still smelled like Zuko, and it made his heart hurt.

He spent the next week avoiding everyone but Aang. He had to figure this thing out. How he could be around Zuko without trying to force himself on the guy. Aang had given Sokka Pipsqueak’s number and the guy had been talking to Sokka about what kinds of things he should expect. What kind of things he was capable of now.

By the end of the week, Sokka felt calmer, and then he remembered the sharp scent of hurt that had rolled off of Zuko when he’d fled… Oh, shit. The guy probably thought Sokka didn’t like him.

He ripped his phone from his pocket and dialed Zuko, but it went straight to voicemail. He tried to send the guy a text, but he got a failed to send message in response. So he ran to the hospital, hoping it wasn’t too late to explain.

Nurse Song was working reception when he got there.

“I’m here to see a patient? Room number 220?”

Song looked nervous as she answered, “I’m sorry, that patient isn’t taking visitors other than his Uncle at the moment… Maybe you should wait until he is discharged to contact him.”

“Do you know when that will be?”

“I’m sorry, I can’t reveal information about patents by law.”

Sokka stood there for a moment, his heart breaking. He had messed up. He had really messed up. He had left because he didn’t want to hurt Zuko, but he did anyway and now he was hurting and it was Sokka’s fault because he hadn’t thought to call or text the guy until tonight. He had been so busy trying to figure out how to not hurt Zuko, that he made Zuko think he hated him.

Sokka started to walk away but then the elevator dinged and Sokka whipped around and broke out into a dead sprint. He crashed inside it just before the doors closed behind him.

He had to explain. He had to let Zuko know that he was in love with him. Sokka was physically incapable of hating him.

They were going to call security on him, weren’t they?

He pressed the second-floor button, and made a point of ignoring the startled woman in the elevator with him. The moment the doors opened again, Sokka bolted out and down the hall literally leaping over the security guard who was checking his phone that had just started blaring an alert at him.

When he reached the room he burst inside and came face to face with Zuko’s shocked face.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!” Zuko shouted hurt and angry.

“Zuko I’m an idiot! I’m so incredibly sorry!” Sokka pleaded as he closed and locked the door, just in time to stop the security guard from coming in to try and drag him out.

“LEAVE!”

“I LOVE YOU!!!”

Zuko froze and Sokka pressed on. “I ran away because I could have hurt you, and I felt horrible for it. I wasn’t thinking and I hurt you. I didn’t mean to- I love you, Zuko. You have to believe me!” He was begging and kneeling in front of the guy. “I love yo—” 

But then Zuko slipped out of the bed and was crushing his lips against Sokka’s.

And Sokka was kissing him back, and they were both crying.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Zuko ordered. “Don’t ever kiss me like that and run away! I can’t have anyone hurt me ever again. Do it again and I won’t forgive you.”

“I promise.” And Sokka kissed him again.

Sokka would never hurt Zuko again.


	4. Family

When the door to their room was unlocked, Sokka knew it was Katara and that she was livid but when she saw the two boys kissing each other and crying, her anger died. She sighed, “Glad the two of you made up. I’ll let you guys have some privacy.” And she left to tell the security guard everything was fine and not to worry.

Once the two had composed themselves, Sokka helped Zuko get back up off of the floor, and sat him down on the bed. He had to finish explaining.

“Okay, I need to tell you something…” Sokka began, as he sat down next to his now-boyfriend, hoping that what he was about to say wouldn’t break what he had just fixed. “And it is going to sound crazy-”

“You’re a werewolf.”

Sokka sputtered, “How- You knew?”

“I kind of figured it out after joking about how the next thing you were going to tell me that it was a werewolf that attacked you and then the first full moon since I met you, you run off and you didn’t show back up until the next morning… My little sister Azula kind of got bit by a vampire awhile back and that really opened my mind to what is actually out there.”

“Okay, then… Well, this past week I’ve been talking with some guy whose kid is a werewolf as well, and he’s been giving me advice. I didn’t want to come back until I knew I wasn’t going to hurt you… And god, Zuko I love you so much.”

“So when you get sick do you go to a doctor or a vet?” Zuko asked. “Because I need to know which, so if you have to get a vet we can go be a united front when we tell Aang.”

“Uh… So Aang already knows… I panicked and he’s the one who put me in touch with Pipsqueak, the guy raising the werewolf pup who apparently is the one the attacked me in the park? Good news is I am now up to date with my shots? So yeah, Aang’s my vet? But if I break my leg I’ll probably go to Katara, but werewolves heal freakishly fast.”

“Do you want to have dinner with my sister and uncle?” Zuko suddenly asked. “Your dad arrested my dad while you were off figuring stuff out. So Azula is living with Uncle now. So I guess do you want to have dinner with my family that isn’t in jail?”

“I would love to, fire honey.”

“Honey?”

“You taste and smell like cinnamon and spiced honey.”

“Oh… Okay then… Well, I’ll text Uncle and… I’m getting out of this place today. Katara says I’ve healed up enough to go home, but home is going to be with Uncle… And how do you know that you love me?”

“I don’t think I can love anyone else. I had this crush on you and then when I came back and kissed you that morning… It was like I looked in your eye and it was like coming home when I hadn’t even known I’d been away? Like you held my soul in your hands.” And Sokka now kissed those hands. “Nothing smells as good as you either. This place gives me a headache with all of the smells, but when I’m with you and can smell you, my head stops hurting. And I love you. Being away from you was like ripping away part of my soul.”

“Well, you did say I hold your soul in my hands… So…” Zuko laughed and then Sokka kissed his hands again.

“I’ll give you anything you ever want, fire honey.”

“I want to trip the heart rate monitor alarm again.”

Katara officially hates Sokka, but Sokka knows she doesn’t.

* * *

Zuko was so glad to finally get out of the hospital, even if he had to keep the eye bandage on for another week. He was so glad to stand in actual sunlight again.

“You’re beautiful when you smile.”

Zuko smiled again but at Sokka this time.

They could have gotten a ride, but the walk was something Zuko needed, and maybe Sokka too. Did werewolves like going for walks like dogs did? Did he need to buy dog treat to give Sokka? Did werewolves eat those?

He shot Aang a text.

**Sparky:** Hey do werewolves like dog treats?

**Twinkle Toes:** Yes Sokka still needs to replace the ones he stole

**Sparky:** Gross! I’ll let him know.

“Aang says you need to replace the dog treats you stole from him.”

“Uhh… Tell him I will tomorrow.”

**Sparky:** He says he will tmrw

**Twinkle Toes:** Good

**Twinkle Toes:** Glad you 2 made up

Zuko smiled and put his phone away.

Ten minutes later they were walking up the driveway of his uncle’s house. Zuko had never brought someone home before the whole meet-the-family song and dance before. He was nervous, but then Sokka was giving his hand a squeeze and he felt the worry disappear.

Uncle had already met Sokka and he liked the guy. He even had thought the two were already a couple before they had even kissed for the first time. So he didn’t have to worry about that. No, what he worried was that Azula might not like Sokka. She could have very strong opinions and Zuko wanted her to like Sokka as well.

He had texted her about him, and she was fine with the idea that Zuko liked a guy. Hell, she had even covered for Zuko back when he was still with Jet. He was being worried about nothing and if Azula decided she didn’t like Sokka, then it didn’t matter. Zuko liked the guy. He might even love Sokka.

Which was actually what he was nervous about as he unlocked the door and led Sokka inside, before kicking his shoes off. Sokka mirrored the action a moment later.

“Uncle?!” Zuko called out. “I’m home! Sokka’s with me!” He had already texted his uncle that his now-boyfriend was coming over for dinner, but it felt good to say. He was home and Sokka was with him. It gave him a warm happy feeling in his chest.

Uncle popped his head out of the kitchen and greeted them, “Welcome home. Hope you’re hungry. I forgot that Azula is on a diet and made enough food for four people.”

“He knows about Azula,” Zuko replied, still holding his boyfriend’s hand. “Uh… Sokka is actually a werewolf? So… I’m sure he’ll be happy to eat Azula’s share.”

Uncle was quiet for a moment before he smiled brightly and said, “Well Sokka, I hope you like burgers. Zuko says he’s been dying to have one ever since he woke up in that hospital.”

“I love burgers,” Sokka answered with an excited smile.

Zuko suddenly realized that none of the curtains were drawn.

“The windows? What about Azula?”

“I had the windows replaced with the kind that filters out UV.”

“Oh… Good.”

A moment later, Azula herself came down the stairs.

“Glad you’re not dead Zuzu.”

“You too Zula.”

She looked Sokka up and down before sniffing and saying, “I don’t hate him if that’s what you’re worried about. I assume you’re the Sokka Zuzu won’t shut up about?”

“That’s me.”

“Hurt him and I’ll kill you.”

“If I ever did, I’d let you.”

Azula smiled. “Good.”

A few minutes later they were sitting down at Uncle’s dinner table. Zuko liked that it was a plain circular table. His father’s table was a long ornate one that he assigned them spots to sit at based on which members of the family were the most valued. Not valued as in he cared, but valued as in who brought the most worth in his eyes to said table. Zuko never had a seat of value at that table, but here Uncle didn’t care who sat where and everyone was valued equally.

Zuko wasn’t made to feel lesser.

Sokka squeezed his hand again.

* * *

Sokka had never met a vampire before and Azula’s look definitely screamed vampire in that classical way. Dark hair, pale skin, stylish high-end clothing, and blood-red lips. Though that last part was likely just lipstick.

During the meal, everyone talked about anything that came to their head, until Sokka remembered something that Toph had said…

“So Toph said I should ask you about the Pohuai Gala of 2005?”

Zuko choked on his tea, and Azula went still and then she smiled wide and terrifying, in the way that only little sisters could manage.

“Oh? Now that is a good story.” She stated, “and I tell it best because it was my idea.

“The Pohuai Gala is an annual masquerade ball where wealthy people stand around saying horribly boring things to raise money for equally boring causes. This was the first time any of us met Toph. Having her join our little group was the best decision we ever made.

“So this year the adults were raising money to pay for Basco the bear, the King Kuei Burger mascot, to go on an around the world trip. Zuzu, Yue, and I were trying to decide what way we could make the event more entertaining, and Toph comes up to us and she says she knows what we’re up to and wants in.

“I suggested that we release the bear and let him eat the event organizer Long Feng so we’d never have to go to another one ever again, but Zuzu and Yue didn’t want to kill anyone. Which really is pretty boring of them.”

Sokka could definitely see Toph releasing a bear into a crowd on the off chance it would eat someone she didn’t like.

“So I took Toph aside and we talked about it one on one, and we realized we didn’t need to kill the guy to get rid of him, we just needed to get him fired. We still could release the bear, since the gala was in his honor that year and if the bear was lost on the man’s watch then he’d likely be fired. But we needed a distraction.”

Zuko groaned and covered his face.

“Toph is blind and her parents are overprotective of her because of it, and Yue’s father was the Mayor at the time. So the distraction fell to them. Toph knocked over a candle and set Yue’s table on fire. At that point, Toph pretended to become hysterical and was loudly apologizing, while Yue fake comforted her. Lots of talk about  _ I’m blind  _ and  _ I didn’t know the candle was there _ . That gathered a crowd.

“Zuzu and I headed off for the cage. Since he was and still is an amazing gymnast, I kept watch as he took an electric saw and cut the hinges on the door to the cage. I could have done that part myself, but I didn’t think I would be able to get up on top of the cage for when Basco ran out, and the plan worked perfectly.

“Basco burst out of the cage, and I hid in a closet, while Zuko flipped himself up into the cage.

“The bear rushed into the ballroom and out the double-wide doors, disappearing into the woods where a bear should be. It was pandemonium. Even better is that no one ever suspected us but Uncle. Everyone else thought it was one of those animal activist groups. And Long Feng got fired. The money that was raised went to an actual wildlife refuge because of the political backlash, and. well, that made Zuko happy. Sadly, they just got a new event planner who did equally boring galas, but at least the charities were less boring and did more good.”


	5. Masquerade

It was Toph’s idea that the Gaang join the Pohuai Gala Disaster Squad. So, after going shopping for masks and outfits, they met up at Uncle’s to get ready. Zuko with his Blue Spirit mask, Sokka with his White Wolf mask, Azula with her Golden Dragon mask, Toph with her Badger Mask, Aang with his Bison Mask, Yue with her Red Spirit Mask, and Katara with her Painted Lady Mask. Iroh wore an antique dragon mask, but he wasn’t going to involve himself in the impending drama that they would be unleashing onto the unsuspecting gala goers, even if he supported their choice of evening activity one hundred percent.

The event was just in time for Zuko’s bandages to come off.

The scar looked brutal.

When Sokka learned what this year’s charity was for, he had briefly asked if they shouldn’t do Operation Pohuai Prison Break, but Zuko assured him that this was a tradition and he was honor-bound to keep it, even if  **_Zuko_ ** was the guest of honor and the charity was to help pay medical bills and legal fees for victims of hate crimes. The event would still be boring, even if the money went to a good cause. As it was the causes never suffered from their antics.

Once there, Zuko took Sokka’s hand and walked in. During the first half-hour, they would run recon and figure out what the best plan and calamity for stuffy rich-people-parties would be, and then they would execute it.

Zuko laid eyes on an older man with hideous mutton chops, and something in his scent shifted.

“I know what we’re going to do.”

They waited at their table for the rest of the group to return with ideas and intel. Once everyone had found their way back from recon, Zuko finally spoke.

“The mark is Zhao.”

Azula’s eyes went wide for a moment before narrowing. “He sent Father the photo. Of course.”

Sokka smelt the sudden tension at the table and he knew why. Zuko had only ended up half-dead at Kya Memorial Hospital because of that photo.

“Okay, so Azula gets Mr. Binky to admit to her that he sent the photo,” Toph stated.

“I’ll steal the phone and pass it to Yue.”

“I’ll send out a mass text from his phone with the photo.”

Katara spoke up, “Toph and I will cause the distraction with her faking a medical emergency with Aang acting as her panicked brother.”

“And I can stand watch and act as back-up in case something goes wrong!” Sokka finished excitedly.

Operation Pohuai Gala Prison Break was a go.

* * *

Azula walked right up to the foul blooded man and struck up a conversation.

“Wonderful gala, but its too bad my father can’t be here to enjoy it.”

“It really is a shame. He always made such generous donations.”

“Yes, well it is really too bad he’s in prison due to Zuzu ratting him out to those cops.” Azula sighed, “At least he paid a hefty price for it. What with Father burning him and everything. I only wish I knew who I had to thank for that small consolation.”

Zhao took the bait.

“Well, you only have to look in front of you.” He said as he pulled out his phone, typed in his passcode of 3-13-20 and pulled up the text exchange to show her. The photo had been tame compared to what she had feared. It was merely Zuko kissing Jet on the check while sitting on a bench at some bus stop. “I wouldn’t worry about your father. I was the one to dump your brother’s body. It is a real shame he was found before he could die of either exposure or an infection… But no matter. The only thing that links Ozai to the crime is your brother’s testimony, which I can have dismissed as circumstantial evidence. A he-said she-said ruling.”

  
She finished the conversation and signaled for the next phase of the plan.

* * *

“It’s our turn Toph,” Aang whispered before Toph suddenly went limp and he caught her.

“Someone help!” He cried out in his best panicked voice. “My sister- I don’t know what’s wrong with her! She just fainted!”

Katara came running forward shouting, “Out of my way! I’m a doctor!”

People parted ways and let her through, as she rushed to kneel beside her boyfriend and their friend. People all stopped what they were doing to watch, as she started asking people if they had various items because “She’s not breathing! Does anyone have-”

* * *

It was now Zuko’s turn, and Zhao was watching the show his friends were putting on with a certain sense of glee at the sight. Zuko really hated this guy.

So when he slipped that phone out of the man’s back pocket, with gloved hands and a feather-light touch, he enjoyed the smug feeling it gave him. He turned his wrist out and Yue grabbed it as she passed by them.

But then Zhao noticed him.

“It would be a shame if someone died at your little fundraiser, Zuko.” The man said casually. “It would completely overshadow what you’re trying to do…”

Zuko went stiff.

“Just think of all of those people who need the help this gala is raising… If that girl dies? People won’t want to donate because it got someone killed.”

* * *

Sokka saw the man begin to talk to Zuko, and he knew that because the handoff was complete, he was free to become back-up for Zuko.

He rushed over with two glasses of champagne, after signaling Katara and her group about the handoff. People began to mill about mindlessly once more after Katara had “saved” Toph’s life.

“Zuko! I got you some champagne.” He cheered, handing him one of the champagne flutes.

“Thank you. Sokka this is Zhao, he works for my father’s law firm. Zhao this is my boyfriend Sokka.” Zuko said in his best gala voice, before, “I’m sorry Zhao, but they are going to need me on stage soon, and I’d like to spend as much time before then with my boyfriend, but enjoy the gala.” And with that he allowed himself to be swept away by Sokka, once Yue gave the signal, she’d deposited the phone on Zhao’s table.

As they walked away Zuko’s phone vibrated with a Facebook notification.

He pulled it out and looked at the screen.

He dropped his glass of champagne to the floor, where it shattered.

**Facebook:** Zhao just tagged you in a post! Check it out!

Zuko opened it up, and it turned out Yue had done a lot more than simply send everyone a text of the photo. She posted a confession, posing as the man, about having been the one to send the photo to Ozai and knowing about what had been done to Zuko. Going into how, just like Ozai, Zhao had thought Zuko had been killed during the assault and then he dumped the body off to the side of the Serpent’s Underpass. That the guilt was eating him up, and that this was the photo he had sent. A picture of Zuko kissing Jet on the cheek.

Zuko was floored.

He could hear the whispering startup, as he turned around to look at Zhao.

He suddenly was angry and shoved the phone in the man’s face shouting, “You sent him the photo! You dumped me in an underpass!!” Then he ripped his mask off revealing his freshly healed burn that covered nearly the entire left side of his face screaming as he pointed at the scar, “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!!! I ALMOST DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!!!” There was the sound of shocked horror at his face. But he lost it. He wasn’t acting anymore because suddenly the pieces of a morbid puzzle came together. “You stalked me! You took a photo of me without me knowing! And then you sent it to my father! AND THEN YOU LEFT ME FOR DEAD ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!!” Sokka rushed over to Zuko’s side as the scarred male shouted out, “I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL!”

The room was filled with stunned silence, as Sokka led his trembling boyfriend away. Azula strode over to Zhao after them and snarled, “You can go rot in the same jail cell as my father. It is the only place you will be safe from me. No one hurts my brother and gets away with it.”

* * *

No one would be forgetting the Pohuai Gala Arrest of 2020 anytime soon. No one arrested the bear in 2005. Not when Zhao had been lead out of the Gala in handcuffs by Officers Hakoda and Bato of the Southern Precinct for his involvement with the assault of Zuko and the following cover-up to create misleading evidence and several other charges that both he and Ozai would be convicted of.

On the bright side for the man, due to Zhao’s confession and lesser role in the crime, he would be receiving a lighter sentence, even if he would still face jail time.

And, honestly, wasn’t that a laugh because despite his confession on Facebook having been faked, Zhao claimed he posted it, knowing full well that pretending to have come clean was his best option.

Zuko decided there was an odd sort of irony in it.

As it was after someone posted a video of Zuko’s tirade against the man, the donations for the charity the gala was representing this year broke the Pohuai Gala’s previous donation record by over three times the previous one.

Sokka was so glad that they had gone through with Operation Pohuai Gala Prison Break. He couldn’t think of a better outcome. Even Toph had to agree this was much better than releasing another bear into the ballroom.

There was just absolutely no way a bear could have brought the same kind of drama and excitement to what had now turned into an actual party. This was a night they would always remember, and it had been a blast to set Zhao up, not that Sokka would ever tell his dad that because they had most definitely broken some laws tonight.

Zuko had retrieved his mask and placed it back on his face, but not before Sokka could kiss the scarred skin on the left side of his face, and elicit a faint blush from his beautiful boyfriend. To think that Sokka had first met Zuko, in a hospital room where they had become roommates after Sokka got attacked by a wolf when he’d gone for a midnight jog in Lake Laogai Park. And Zuko had only ended up in that same room because he’d gotten half of his face burnt off by his father and the complete happenstance that Sokka’s dad ended up being called in on a possible homicide that wasn’t homicide.

There had to be better ways to meet the love of your life, but Sokka had found himself head over heels for the guy because Zuko had called him pretty while high on painkillers… And really how could he have not fallen in love? What with Zuko’s rare but beautiful laugh and that single golden eye.

And then Zuko had looked at him, standing in a crowded ballroom and finally said, “I love you too, Sokka. I love you.”

And Sokka was lost in those words and those eyes all over again.


	6. Free Day

Sokka’s family had taken the news that he was a werewolf a lot better than he’d thought they would. Did it help that they had a vampire and his vet there to collaborate his story? Yes, yes, it did. Without those two, Hakoda might have thought Sokka was on drugs, and Katara would have thought he was having some sort of mental break.

It had now been a year, to the day, since he’d first met Zuko. And honestly? They It had been the best year of his life.

He had watched Zuko go from the half-dead John Doe he’d ended up with as a roommate, to his very much alive “we live together in our own apartment because we are in love” roommate. And Zuko had been able to make up for lost time with his gymnastics training, which Sokka thought was beautiful to watch. He’d gotten to learn that Zuko was also a skilled swordsman and martial artist.

Which, okay, wow, that was absolutely awesome in every way imaginable. His boyfriend was amazing, talented, and hot? He had hit the jackpot when it came to boyfriends.

So that made today all the more special. Not just because Zuko was taking a free day from his Olympic training regime for the anniversary, but because of what Sokka was planning to do.

He was going to ask Zuko to marry him.

He had everything planned out.

* * *

Zuko had everything planned out. Today was the day he was going to propose to Sokka.

His boyfriend was taking him on a romantic date to celebrate their one-year anniversary, and at the end of the date would be the perfect opportunity.

“Fur Brains, are you ready to go?” Zuko called out from the kitchen, as he sipped his cup of jasmine tea. Uncle had been right, tea was more than hot leaf juice. Zuko had been wrong. He could admit it.

Sokka called back, “Just give me a minute, Fire Honey.”

Their cat Foo Foo Cuddly-Poops mewed up at him.

“I know, your daddy takes forever in the bathroom, Foo Foo.” Zuko cooed at the stray Siamese kitten that had followed them home two months ago. “Let me get you one of your treats. Your Uncle Aang will be here any minute, and we both know that even though he likes to spoil you he thinks you’re getting fat and that we give you too many treats.” Zuko fished a piece of the fish, Sokka had caught on their fishing trip last week, out of the fridge. He had prepared this one special for the pampered kitten.

He bent down and held the treat out for the kitten, who happily ate it and rubbed its tiny little head against Zuko’s hand purring. Zuko felt his heart swell with love.

To think this was his life now…

So much had changed in the last year...

He actually was getting a bit misty-eyed at the thought.

There was a knock at the door before Aang let himself in.

“Is Sokka running late?” Aang asked as the kitten rushed over to bet pet by the bald vet.

“No, I am running perfectly on time.” Sokka declared as he exited the bathroom and walked over to kiss Zuko on the check. “Okay, I’m ready to go now, Fire Honey. Well, see you later Aang, and don’t forget his treats are in the green Tupperware container. His dinner is in the red one, and-”

“I know, his medicated treats are in the orange one.” Aang finished. “Now go enjoy your anniversary. It only happens once a year.”

Sokka hugged their friend before Zuko dragged him out of the apartment.

“And don’t forget-”

“He likes to curl up on the middle cushion of the couch with the blue blanket! I’ve got it, Sokka. I am a vet. I am literally the best person to watch Foo Foo for you. Now go!”

Seeing as it was lunch time they headed off to Wang Fires Burgers to get something to eat. Burgers which Sokka insisted were only second to Iroh’s and had been what he’d asked his friends to bring him for lunch that day. Instead those heartless, wonderful people had brought him a King Kuie Burger. And Sokka hadn’t gone in over a year because one, Iroh’s burgers are the second greatest things to touch his lips, Zuko’s being the number one, and two, he wanted to make going back a special occasion.

Honestly the burger wasn’t half bad, but Sokka was right Uncle made better burgers.

After that they went for a walk through Lake Laogai Park, where Sokka had become a werewolf, and The Duke was currently jumping from tree to tree.

“Are you sure he’s a werewolf and not a weremonkey?” Zuko asked laughing, and Sokka pecked him on the lips.

“I’m sure, Fire Honey.”

Zuko’s smiles came easily now, even when Sokka tried to kiss them off his face.

They did not visit the Serpent’s Underpass where Zuko had been found, but instead dropped by the Southern Police Precinct, to drop off the cookie’s Zuko had made for Hakoda and Bato. And they chatted for a few minutes with Jet, who was currently sitting in the 24 hour lock up because, well,he was still a smug prick. He had become less of an asshole after Zhao’s “confession”.

Zuko thought Jet felt guilty for not realizing they had been followed. People can change if they are given the right motivation. Even if said people still ran a gang.

After that, it was starting to get dark out, and at first Zuko thought that they would be heading to some sort of restaurant for dinner, but Sokka brought him to Kya Memorial Hospital.

Where they first met…

Sokka waved at Nurse Song, and then the security guard that had glared at him every time since the whole vaulting over the guy’s head thing, before heading for the elevator. Zuko was confused now, but still holding his hand and following along.

When they got to the second floor, he heard…

Was that singing?

“Through the mountain!

Secret secret secret tunnel!!!”

That was singing…

What was going on? And why was Sokka smiling at him like a kid on christmas day?

“It took me probably seven months to track them down.” Sokka said as he lead Zuko down the hall to…

Room 220? Their room?

Zuko walked into the room and saw two men and two women singing on either side of a table, set up with a romantic candle-lit dinner…

“Zuko, these are the singing migrants that found you under the Serpent’s Underpass. They are the ones who called my dad.”

And Sokka was down on one knee.

Zuko’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, as he realized what his boyfriend was doing.

“Will you marry me?” And there was a ring and Zuko was crying and throwing himself into Sokka’s arms shouting, “You stupid fur brained wolf! I was going purpose to you!” And then he pulled out his own ring to hold out to Sokka. “It belonged to my great grandfather Roku, on my mom’s side of the family. She gave it to Uncle to hold onto until I’d need it.”

“So that’s a yes then?”

“Yes, YES! Oh my god yes!” Zuko sobbed, “Of course I’ll marry you!”

And then they were kissing and both crying.

“Okay, but can we please eat? I’m starving.”

“Fine! But I am putting this ring on right now and never taking it off.”

Following that outburst, they exchanged rings, kissed each other again, and then Zuko turned to face the smiling singer.

“Thank you… Thank you so much for finding me…” And shit! He was crying again because these people had saved his life, and left town before he could thank them.

The man who looked like he was in charge smiled dopley, “Wasn’t a thing not-a-dead-guy. Just the right thing to do.”

Then his wife added, “The two of you are beautiful together. You let love guide your ways!”

And he was crying again because even though that was incredibly cheesy, Sokka had turned cheesy into something that made Zuko so happy, and Sokka had definitely said some far cheesier things this more when they woke up, but they had. He hadn’t known it at first, but they had let love guide their way.

Then Sokka’s stomach grumbled, and Zuko was laughing.

“O-Okay” He asked, furiously rubbing the tears from his good eye, “What's for dinner?”

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck and said, “So I was asking your uncle about what you’re favorite food is, and he told me about this dish your mom used to make for you, when you were still a real little kid… And…” Sokka actually seemed nervous, as he lifted the hospital food tray cover, and Zuko’s mouth dropped open.

There on the tray was two plates of white rice covered with beef, a fried egg, mushrooms and oyster sauce and gravy…

“My mom used to make this for me, whenever I was feeling sad… You actually made me loco moco?” Zuko was dumbfounded.

“Well, yeah…” Sokka said awkwardly, “My mom use to make me five-flavor soup, when I was a kid, before she died… I still think about her every time I eat it… And well… I know you’re mom is gone, but I wanted you to have a piece of her here today… I didn’t do anything wrong? Did I? Because I can go get us something else-”

“Don’t you dare do that! We are eating this! You sweet perfect wonderful fur brained idiot!” And Zuko threw himself back into Sokka’s arms, crying again. “This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me!”

“So I made the right thing?”

“Of course you did!” Zuko sobbed, “I don’t know what I did to ever deserve you.”

“Well you called me pretty and asked for your own number, while Katara had you high off your ass on painkillers. That’s one thing.” Sokka started, as he wiped away Zuko’s tears this time. “And then you made me fall in love with you. And you’re absolutely stunning, seriously have you even seen yourself? And you don’t stink… No, you smell really good, like cinnamon and spiced honey. You give the best kisses. You have the most beautiful laugh, and I try to make you laugh every single day, just so I can hear it. And your smile makes me feel like I’m doing something right. And you forgave me when I ran off after kissing you… Even though I hurt you when I did.

“Zuko, my Fire Honey, you hold my soul in your hands and my heart in your eyes. Every breath you take, every time you laugh it makes me feel like I’m coming home all over again, and I fall in love with again and again and again… The way you are with our friends and your family… How when you found out Jet was cheating on you with my sister, you made sure to tell her about it? That way she could leave the prick as well… The way I know you sneak Foo Foo Cuddly-Poops his treats, when Aang isn’t looking. The fact that you make those treats yourself even. You are an unbelievably good person, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to even know you. I can’t imagine a life without you. I don’t want to imagine a life without you in it…

“I don’t think I could ever stop loving you… I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

“Zuko, I love you more than I love food.”

And Zuko was crying again, saying, “Come on the food is getting cold, and you’re letting it get cold saying all sorts of lovey dovey stuff.”

Zuko was pretty sure that this was the best day of his life.


	7. Night and Day

Zuko had made it to the Olympics and because of the full moon, Sokka couldn’t go with him.

There were only two times since becoming a werewolf he had hated the full moon. The first time was two and a half years ago, after the first time he’s turned. When he had come back to Kya Memorial Hospital Room 220 and run away from Zuko for a week. He had hurt him, and He still hadn’t forgiven himself for that. He never would.

The second time was now.

When the love of his life was finally going to achieve his lifelong dream of winning a gold medal at the Olympics. And Sokka was going to be on the other side of the world watching it on TV. Because it was a full moon, and Zuko’s event was taking place at night.

Zuko understood why he couldn’t be there. And worse yet, Zuko wasn’t angry about it. He was just happy that Sokka would be able to watch it live on TV. Zuko was okay with it because that was the only thing he could be about it.

Sokka wanted to scream!

This wasn’t fair. It was night and a full moon, where the love of his life would be achieving his dreams, and Sokka had to stay behind. Had to stay where it was day time so he could at least see that happen.

Sokka sobbed for hours after Zuko had left for the airport.

Sokka had promised to never leave his husband, but when the moment came, he couldn’t go with him.

So Sokka went to Katara and Aang’s new place to watch the event. He called his husband after each and everyone, to let him know how amazing he’d done. And then once he hung up, he would be crying again.

Because it was day here. And it was night there. And wolves don’t get seats in Olympic stadiums. Wolfs stay at home, and watch the love of their life chasing their dreams on live TV! And it wasn’t fair, and nothing about this was right!

And it hurt him so much inside not to be there with Zuko cheering him on.

Sokka was crying again.

During Zuko’s last event of the games, it was the full moon, and Sokka had never hated the moon as much in his life as he did right now. Stuck on the other side of the planet.

But tomorrow night there was no full moon, and Zuko didn’t have any more events. The medal ceremony would be at the end of tomorrow night, and if Sokka got on a plane right now… Now that Zuko’s final event had finished…

Sokka bolted up off of the couch.

“Sokka?” Katara asked in the same voice, she used to use when they were kids and he would scrape his knee.

“I need to get to the airport!” He blurted out. “If I catch flight 61, then I’ll make it in time for the ceremony. I can be there when he gets his six gold medals! My husband won six gold medals at his first Olympics and I’d rather die than not be there.”

And with that Sokka bolted out the front door.

* * *

Zuko finished his final event with another perfect score.

He had just won six gold medals, and next time he was going to win seven.

His phone was buzzing in the locker he’s put it in.

He opened the locker as quickly as humanly possible, and when he saw Sokka’s name, he smiled and answered, “Sokka! Did you see me?”

“Yes, Fire Honey! You were amazing! Six gold medals! I’m so proud of you.” Sokka sounded out of breath.

“Hey, are you okay?” Zuko felt the vice-like grip of worry clench harder around his heart. He knew Sokka hated not being here, to cheer him on, but there was the full mom to worry about.

“I’m fine, I-I ran to the airport. I realized that tomorrow night won’t be a full moon and that’s when they are going to give you your medals and-”

“Calm down, Fur Brain.” Zuko pleaded. “You think your flight will get here in time?”

“Yes. I’ll be cutting it close and I won’t be able to get a shower, but Fire Honey, I promise you I’ll be there. And I have never broken a promise to you.”

Zuko felt lighter than he had all week.

“You’re going to be here… When I get my medals.” Zuko had to sit down on the bench in the locker room to steady himself. “Sokka, you have no idea how happy that makes me. You’re going to be here. WIth me when I get my medals.” And there he went crying again, just like he had the night Sokka purposed to him. “I love you so much, I can’t wait to see you when you get here.”

“I love you too. I got to go, my flight is boarding. I’ll see you in fourteen hours.”

“I love you too, I’ll see you when you get here.”

Sokka had promised to give him anything he ever wanted, and he was making good on that. Zuko wanted nothing more than to have Sokka here with him. And Sokka was going to give him that. He just had to wait for fourteen hours and he would be home again in Sokka’s arms.

* * *

Sokka had an absolutely garbage seat on flight 61. There was a toddler who wouldn’t stop screaming his mama’s phone, which had died, and holy shit, Sokka wanted to have that with Zuko. Sokka might hate the sound of that toddler screaming, but he wanted that with Zuko.

He wasn’t going to get any sleep on this flight, was he?

Still, he was doing this for the love of his life, and even if he looked like an absolute wreck, it would be worth it.

Six hours in the toddler had screamed itself to sleep.

Sokka was fast asleep about 4 seconds later.

* * *

Sokka had a weird dream well he slept. It was like the same dream, he’d had before he’d first laid eyes on Zuko. But Zuko was a fire bender and he had helped Sokka break his dad and Suki out of a Fire Nation prison.

And then Zuko had been sitting in a cooler and had breathed a small warm plumb of flames from his mouth, and it was hot. Well, yeah, the fire was hot, it was fire, but Sokka meant the way it made Zuko look.

How could anyone be allowed to be that attractive? It had to be illegal. But then he told Zuko.

And Zuko deadpanned, “Fur Brains, I am literally in a prison.”

And Sokka had laughed so hard he’d woken himself up. The lady in the seat next to him he had woken up didn’t find it as funny as Sokka did. But Zuko would. And knowing Zuko, if he set up the joke just right, his husband would end up saying the punch line himself.

* * *

Sokka felt like walking human garbage when he finally got off of Flight 61, but then he saw Zuko standing there with his coach Piandao waiting for him.

He ran to his husband, jumping over a security guard, to meet him.

And the moment, he had that warm bundle of cinnamon and spiced honey in his arms, he finally felt whole again. Like the part of him that was missing, had finally been returned to him.

“Next time, Fire Honey, I don’t care if its a full moon. Let me at least be in the same time zone, as you. I can watch it from the hotel room. That way, when you’re done, I don’t have to wait for a whole week to see you. I can’t do that ever again. I love you too much for that.”

“I love you too, Sokka, I love you too.”

And then Sokka was dipping Zuko down into a kiss, in front of an entire airport full of strangers, who didn’t even pay attention. Too tired from their flights to notice how beautiful Zuko looked right now. How radiant his smile was. How gorgeous his voice was when he was telling Sokka that he was thinking out loud.

But then he was kissing Zuko again. And Zuko had kissed him back, before saying, with a roll of his beautiful golden eyes, “We have to get going or we’ll be late for the awards ceremony, Fur Brain.” And Sokka kissed him one more time, and their group of three headed back to the cab Zuko had taken to get to Whale Tail Airport.

Once in the cab, Piandao said, “Zuko, explained why you couldn’t make it until now. I’ll try to make sure we have accommodations for you next time.” And then he sat quietly and pretended he couldn’t hear Sokka whispering sweet nothings into Zuko’s ears.

* * *

Once at the stadium, Zuko introduced him to Mai and Ty Lee. Sokka knew already that the two were childhood friends of Zuko’s, but that the girls had moved away to train for a different countries gymnastic team.

“Luckily I didn’t have to compete against Ty Lee here or I wouldn’t have gotten a single gold. She won gold during every single one of her events. Mai got silver in all of hers that she shared with Ty Lee. But she got gold in the ones they didn’t share.” Zuko explained.

“I’m Sokka, Zuko’s husband.”

“Delighted.”

“You picked a good one, Zuko. He’s cute.”

“Let’s hurry up inside,” Zuko said, as he checked his phone. “We really don’t want to be late.”

So their group of five, headed inside, and Sokka was able to see Zuko practically dripping with gold medals like they were drops of honey, and that certainly conjured up an image, he would very much like to see later that night sprawled out on a hotel bed. But he didn’t say anything about it to the people sitting around him. No instead what he said was so cliche in the cheesiest of ways.

“That’s my husband!” He told the elderly twin women sitting next to him, as he pointed to Zuko.

The women smiled at him and sighed, “Young love! I bet you’re so proud.”

“I am. He’s worked really hard for this.” He beamed as he looked back to Zuko, getting another gold medal draped around his neck. “Not even the moon could make me miss this. There isn’t anywhere else in the worldI’d rather be.”

And that was the truth. Sokka was exactly where he was meant to be. Here watching Zuko beaming up at him from an Olympic stadium stage. Like Sokka was the only person in the whole world. His heart looking up at him with gold eyes. And those same hands that held his soul, were filled with dreams that had come true. A smile that told him, he was doing something right, and that something was being right here.

There were a lot of ways to meet your soulmate. But this, right here? What the two of them had? It had to be by far the best one.

* * *

“So, Honey Fire, I had this weird dream where we were breaking my dad and Suki out of a Fire Nation prison.”

“Oh? Tell me about it, Fur Brain.”

“Well, you got captured doing it, and you were a fire bender, so they put you in some sort of cooler, but you could breathe fire? And that was really hot. You looked so unbelievably hot, that it should be illegal.”

Zuko snorted with laughter and said, “But I was in a prison, Fur Brain.”

“You want to know what else?”

“What?”

“You’re even more beautiful in real life, then you are in my dreams.”

Golden eyes rolled at him, and cinnamon and spiced honey kiss his lips.

And Sokka fell in love all over again.

He was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you to my beta H_Faith_Marr so much this fic wouldn't have happened without you. Now that I have binge wrote 14,000 words of fan fiction. I am going to not write another word today.


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